Is the light of Jesus visible in you?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
(Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV))

It is impossible to be a “quiet” believer.

I think everyone has met someone who says that they believe but they do not wish to “force” their beliefs on others. They are not fully aware of what Jesus meant when he spoke the words that Matthew wrote down. A light shines because it is light. You cannot stop a light from shining. By it’s very nature, it will illuminate everything that comes into contact with it.

The same is also true of people who have experienced the “Light” of Jesus Christ. If they truly have been exposed to this “Light”, then they will radiate with it in all things that they do and to all people that they see. It is not something that you can keep inside, hidden from the world.

These people quote, “My belief is a personal matter.” They are correct. Every person must decide for themselves. But, once you make that decision, it will work in your life and your “glow” will become evident by your actions, words, and deeds.

Do not hide the “Light” that has illuminated your life. Share it. Someone else needs to have the “Light”. Do not be pushy with the Light. Let Light do what it does naturally. Expose something to light, and it becomes radiant in color, completely washed by the light. Are you radiant?

Is the light of Jesus visible in you?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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What do you use to light your way?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
(Psalms 119:105 (NIV))

Have you ever stumbled in the dark? I am sure that each and every one of us has experienced this. We even take measures to make sure that our path is well lit. We have exterior lights going from our car to the front door. We have little night lights that we plug in so that we can determine where the furniture is. For situations where we can’t guarantee that there will be available lighting, we even carry flashlights with us. Still, we all know what it feels like to stumble in the dark, to trip over something because we couldn’t see it, and to walk into the corner of the coffee table!

That is the physical. Sadly, too many of us don’t realize that we need spiritual light. We probably stumble more in the spiritual than we ever would in the physical. We recognize the dangers in the physical realm, but completely ignore the greater dangers in the spiritual realm. Without spiritual light, we walk in blindness. We never know the best path to take. We only know the results of our blindness when we falter. Even then, we simply keep on going in the darkness and in the blindness that it causes. We never know just how much damage we are doing to ourselves in the present and in the future until it is too late.

How would you like to be able to change that? How would you like to have a guide to light your path and to show you the way? How would you like to trust in the guidance that you receive? How would you like to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the light that you follow will never lead you astray?

There is only one source of spiritual light that promises all of this and more. There is only one light that is faithful. There is only one light that will never leave you. There is only one light that came into this world to bring the light. Jesus is that light.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
(John 8:12 (NIV))

What do you use to light your way?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Have we switched from exposing to embracing darkness?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
(Ephesians 5:11 (NIV))

If we have expressed a faith in Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, we have made a commitment to repent of our sins and live life as an heir, as a son or daughter of God. We have made a decision to leave the darkness of our sins behind and embrace the light, the true Light.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
(John 8:12 (NIV))

If you truly follow Jesus, you follow the light. You are called to embrace the light. Unfortunately, we have to overcome human nature even when we accept Jesus. We must be on our guard and make sure that those who embrace the darkness do not have any inroads into our lives.

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
(John 3:19 (NIV))

Walking with Christ is not easy. Even those who profess a faith in Jesus have to repent on a daily basis. We have to keep our eyes focused on Jesus and fill our lives with His light so that the darkness has no opportunity to regain any hold upon our lives. We are to know the truth of God’s Word so well that we can see the subtle lies that the darkness uses. Today, our society seems to have started embracing the darkness. As members of the Body of Christ, we are called to be His light in a dark world. We are called to expose the darkness by shining His light in the midst of the darkness. Sadly, too many people who claim to be believers in Jesus are embracing the darkness because the darkness is claiming that God made us the way we are and if He made us, then the sin that we embrace is okay in the eyes of God.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

Jesus came to this world to give us freedom from sin. He did not come to give us freedom to sin!

Have we switched from exposing to embracing darkness?

Copyright 1998 – 2019 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Are you letting your light shine?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.
(John 3:19-21 (NIV))

How many times have we heard

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
(John 3:16)

Even this verse that we all know and quote has teachings that follow it. These are not easy teaching. God does truly love the world. He proved it through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, but it is for man to accept this gift. God does not force this or anything on anyone who does not wish it. Those who have evil in their hearts will not accept this gift since it goes against what they desire in this life.

It is our responsibility as believers to be God’s light in this world and shine on those who are rejecting it and pray that they will come out of the darkness and into the light.

Are you letting your light shine?

Copyright 1998 – 2014 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Are we listening?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
(Revelation 3:13 (NIV))

So many things have been happening lately that many members of the Body of Christ are in shock over. Each day seems to bring more and more things to light that appear to go against God’s Word. We are to hold fast to our faith in Jesus.

We have been told that things would happen.

We have been told that we would come to a time when good would be called evil and evil would be called good.

What can we, as the Body of Christ, do?

We must pray! We must hold fast to the Word of God. We must not let our focus be swayed. We must continue to reach out to those in need with the only thing that can save them, We must be Jesus to a dying world. Now is not the time for the Body of Christ to sit back and wait for the Second Coming of Jesus. There are people that He wants to take with him. Think about your family and friends. I bet that there are people that you want Him to take with Him as well.

We must hear what the Holy Spirit is telling us and we must act upon it. Salvation is not limited to only a handful of people. Jesus died on the cross so that everyone may be saved.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
(John 3:16-21 (NIV))

We must listen intently to what the Holy Spirit is telling the church. The things that are going on in the world are the physical evidence of what God is whispering to the Body of Christ.

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
(Revelation 3:21-22 (NIV))

We must hear what the Spirit is saying. We must overcome the world.

Are we listening?

Copyright 1998 – 2013 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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